Along Came a Spider
by Logan Parker
Summary: After Sodapop goes missing in action during the Vietnam war, Darry is determined to keep safe the only brother he has left. However his determination is soon turned into an obsession of control. Rated T for violence and language. Now complete
1. Chapter 1

**Note**: The idea for this story was given to me a long time ago. It's taken until now for me to get the courage to enact upon it. It will be hard for me to write, since child abuse very much offends me, so please bear with me. There will be obvious character changes. One change is the characters' ages, which are as follows:

Darry: 22

Sodapop: 18

Steve: 18

Two-bit: 19

Ponyboy: 13

**Warning: **Contains violence, child abuse, drug use, and profanity.

**Summary**: After Sodapop goes missing in action during the Vietnam war, Darry is determined to keep safe the only brother he has left. However his determination is soon turned into an obsession of control. Desperate to shield Pony from the outside world and everything in it, Darry becomes violent and overbearing. His night and day mood swings keep Pony in constant fear for his life, as Darry becomes more angry and demanding each day. Will the loss of Soda be the end of the Curtis family, or will it be just the beginning of a never-ending nightmare?

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**Along Came A Spider**

**Chapter one**: Prologue

_Pony_

I think it is a Thursday. Lately however, days and weeks seem to melt into the next varying only in what I eat for lunch or what tests I have at school. Today I had a test in science, which is why I think it's a Thursday. I have science tests every Thursday.

I never leave the house except to walk to the local grocery store to buy something for dinner. It's really a privilege even to do that, since Darry would never let me walk there alone if he got off of work earlier. But since six-thirty is when he gets off, and he's always too tired to cook dinner, I was able to convince him to let me do the shopping.

This is how my life is now. It started two weeks after Dallas was shot under the streetlights. Steve and Soda both received draft letters from the U.S army, and were shipped out to Vietnam a month later. I was terrified by the idea of Soda fighting in a war, but Darry was optimistic about him being fine. He kept telling me that Soda and Steve would be home in no time. He was at least half right.

After two months of fighting, Steve took a bullet to his shoulder and was sent home. He had to have reconstructive surgery on his shoulder, but that was hardly his biggest concern. He had stopped eating, saying everything tasted of blood and metal. He couldn't sleep, having nightmares of war and death. And he started drinking to numb out the memories of friends he'd never see again. Of Soda.

The last time I saw Steve Randal he was in out living room screaming, "I just want to die! Why can't I fucking die?" That was two weeks ago and Steve didn't even recognize me.

Soda was announced as MIA shortly after he entered the war, and that status hasn't been changed. His commanding officer told us to be hopeful because in times of war lots of soldiers go missing. That didn't reassure either one of us. I was frightened and Darry was devastated. He started to change rapidly. At first I didn't take it seriously. He was getting stricter, but I just took it as a sign of grief. The doctors told me to be patient with him and he'd come around, but it was hard to be patient with someone who was set on dictating every aspect of my life. He was telling me who I could hang out with, where I could go, what T.V shows I could watch, and even what foods I could eat. Honestly though, I never thought I'd get this bad.

I don't do much of anything now. I read books I've already read and watch T.V show reruns. I write stories sometimes, but never anything important. I write all the important things in my head; like letters to Soda. I write letters to Soda in my head at least once everyday. Most of the time it's four or five times a day. I've even found myself praying to him at night, begging him to come home so things can be normal again. But Soda is no better at answering prayers than God is, and every morning I wake up in bed alone.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I look into the mirror and wonder how I'm going to explain the black eye. Luckily tomorrow is Friday, so I'll only have to deal with the teachers unbelieving looks for one day instead of the whole week. I think back to the first time Darry hit me after Soda went missing. I had been late coming home from track practice, and Darry had been waiting for me when I got home.

_"Darry, you're home early." I said, setting my book bag down on the floor._

_"Pony, where the hell have you been?" He yelled worriedly. I looked back at him with confusion._

_"Dar, I have track practice on Tuesdays." I told him matter-of-factly. "I thought you knew that." He glared at me angrily._

_"Don't talk back to me Ponyboy Curtis! Track practice ends at 4:30! It's almost 6 o' clock." He answers, standing over me._

_"It got out a little late. I didn't think-"_

_"You didn't think what?" He cut me off. "You didn't think I'd be worried?!" I stood back timidly and shook subconsciously. He was a lot angrier than I'd seem him in a long time, and I wasn't sure why._

_"I-I didn't know you'd even be home." I stuttered. This seemed to make him even madder, and he took another step towards me._

_"Yeah well, if you can't be home on time, then you can't run track." He stated sternly. Angry flared in me as I shook my head violently._

_"You can't make me stop running track!" I yelled. "I didn't even do anything wrong!" He didn't say anything. He just turned his back to me and walked into the kitchen._

_"You're off the team Pony. If you keep arguing you're going to be grounded." He told me more calmly. I grabbed the lamp off the coffee table and threw it at the wall._

_"You're not my fucking father!" I screamed. Darry jerked around and slapped me clean across the face, just as he had the night I'd run out to Johnny. Only this time I had no one to run to, not even Soda. _

_"I'm doing this because I love you Pony." He had told me as tears threatened to spill from my eyes. _

"Ponyboy!" Darry calls from the living room, breaking me out of my trance. I come out of the bathroom and into the living room where he's sitting. He waves me over to him and touches my eye gingerly.

"You need to put ice on that baby."

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	2. Friday

**Note**: Thanks so much for all the reviews. I appreciate them a lot. I'll continue updating ASAP.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter two**: Friday

It's Friday, I'm positive. I'm sitting on the living room couch wishing like hell that I could be walking in the park or sleeping in the lot or rushing into a burning church. Anything was better than this, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. It's early, probably eight or so at night, and I feel like I could fall asleep sitting here. Darry is making dinner in the kitchen, so he wouldn't let me go to bed even if I wanted to. He wants me to be where he can see me at all times.

"Hey Dar?" I call cautiously, as I always do now. He looks at me quickly, then back down at the stove, reading the timer.

"Yeah kiddo?" He calls back. "Come in here and set the table." I readily oblige, not wanting to lose his temper.

"You think that after we eat…that maybe you and I could…I don't know, go to the movies or something?" I ask, placing the two plates and sets of silverware down on the table. I stare longingly at the empty place, wishing I could set it too. I'd give anything…

"I don't think so. Especially after yesterday. You really wouldn't expect me to let you leave the house after the way you spoke to me yesterday, would you?" He asks sternly. He's not angry, not yet anyways, and I don't plan on pushing him. I touch my eye subconsciously and shake my head.

"No. Guess not. Sorry." I say sheepishly, with as much feigned remorse that I could muster. Honestly though, I know that the way that I 'spoke' to him wasn't worth this kind of punishment. I did my best not to act even the least bit disrespectful, but sometimes he found it offensive anyways.

"I know you are. Next time I tell you to do something, I expect it to be done. Understand?" He says, giving me his look. I nod and sit down at the table.

"Maybe when I'm not in trouble then...?" I say hopefully. He shrugs his shoulders and puts some chicken and brocolli on my plate.

"We'll see." He answers, smiling slightly as he sits down beside me. "I want you to get ready for bed after you eat. You look tired." I wasn't about to argue with him, especially since I was tired. My nightmares still kept me up at night; nightmares of death and friends I'd never see again. Of Soda.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Soda is covered in blood. His eyes are bleeding and mixing with the blood streaming from his mouth. He's smiling and laughing and screaming all at the same time. His army uniform is full of bullet holes. His head is full of them too, but that doesn't stop his laughing. _

_"What's the matter Ponyboy? Don't wanna give your big brother a hug?" He taunts. I turn to run, and I run and run and don't look back. And all the while he's laughing, asking me what's the matter. _

"Pony. Baby, you okay?" Darry shakes me and doesn't stop even after I've opened my eyes.

"I'm okay. Yeah, I'm okay." I whisper to myself. A complete lie of course. He stops shaking me and moves my hair away from my forehead. I shudder at the coolness of his fingers.

"I think you should sleep with me from now on. These nightmares are too bad." He tells me. My eyes widen, but I try to keep calm.

"I'm fine Dar, really." I beg, but he'll have none of it. He stands at the doorway and motions for me to follow him. I plead with him with my eyes, but he doesn't budge.

"Now Ponyboy." He orders. I sigh inwardly and follow him to his bedroom. He makes room for me in bed and I climb in, knowing I'll probably not sleep the rest of the night. I close my eyes.

_Dear Soda,_

_I miss you. Please come home. Please don't be dead. You were right; Darry does love me. Too much. Please come home so he'll stop loving me again. It hurts to be loved this much. I need you. I need you. I need you. I know I said I didn't need you in the last letter, but I was mad. And I was lying. I do need you._

"Pony?" Darry calls.

_I need you Soda. So much. Please-_

"Pony, you asleep?"

_come home. Oh God please. I love you Sodapop. Dar-_

"Pony I know you're awake. You don't need to be scared of me. I'm only trying-"

_ry loves you. Steve needs you. He's not-_

"To protect you."

_doing good. Scratch that-he's doing awful. He's dying Soda. Please. Please, please, please, come home. I-_

"I'm doing this 'cause I-"

_love you._

"Love you."

"I love you too."

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Happy Thanksgiving! Please read and review.


	3. Lost

**Note**: Thanks again for all the reviews. Any comments/suggests?

Remember: This is rated T for a reason.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 3**: Lost

"That's quite a bump." Two-bit says, attempting to walk backwards with his eyes closed. He cracks open his left eye to glance at the knot on my forehead. I nod and yank him out of the way of an old lady.

"Oh sorry." Two-bit says, grinning at the lady as she huffs by. "How'd you get it?"

"I'm clumsy, you know that." I answer, glad once again that Two-bit isn't one to think too deep into anything.

"Yep, I guess. I got a bump like that before once. I was at this party one night with some chick I picked up at a bar." Two-bit tells me. I nod and laugh as Two-bit continues his story, not really listening to what he's saying. I'm thinking about how I could possibly convince Darry to let me go out with some guys from school tonight.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I run inside the house to catch the phone on it's third ring. It is Darry like I knew it would be.

"Why did it take you so long to answer?" He asks accusingly. He always calls fifteen minutes after school gets out to make sure I'm home like I should be.

"Sorry. Two-bit decided it would be cool to walk home backwards, so it took us a little longer." I answer. "Are you mad?"

"Should I be?" He asks snappily. I cringe at his tone and know that this was not the way to start the afternoon.

"Um...I uh...I'm really sorry." I stutter.

"That's not what I asked." He states mercilessly. I bite my tongue.

"Um...I guess you have the right to be mad." I answer quietly. Two-bit comes barging into to living room.

"Damn you sure took off fast!" He shouts. "Had to run to keep up with you." I put my finger to my lips to tell him to be quiet.

"Pony, I'm getting really tired of this. You know how I feel about you not being where you're supposed to be." Darry continues to lecture. Two-bit rummages through the fridge, unaware of Darry's speech.

"Yeah I know-" I start to plead.

"And you know I'm going to have to deal with this when I get home?" He threatens. I shut my eyes with frustration. I just had to walk home with Two-bit today.

"No Darry, I'm sorry. Please, it won't happen again." I beg.

"What did you do this time?" Two-bit asks. "Skip school? Get suspended?" I give him an exasperated look. He doesn't take hints well.

"Alright, just asking." He states.

"I know it won't. I'm tired of it. I want you there when I get home." He tells me. "Who's there with you?"

"Two-bit." I answer.

"Yeah?" Two-bit asks. I shake my head.

"Nothing. Darry, I'm really sorry." I say.

"Okay well we'll talk about it when I get home."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What do you think about Carrie Martin?" My friend Jack asks from the other side of the phone. I'm cooking and talking at the same time, making sure to keep an eye on the clock. It's 5:30 now, so I have about thirty minutes before Darry gets home.

"Hey, what does this do?" Two-bit asks, holding up a potato peeler. Luckily he decided to stay for dinner, so I won't have to handle Darry right away.

"It's a peeler. For potatoes. Carrie Martin? Isn't she Bobby Martin's sister?" I answer both of them. Jack has been trying to find a date to the Winter Wonderland dance our school is having.

"Yeah. And he's big." Jack admits, mentally crossing off Carrie from his list of potential candidates.

"What about you?" He questions. I give the phone a once over.

"Sorry pal, I don't go that way. Two-bit might though." I answer, gaining a questioning look from Two-bit.

"Man you know what I mean!" Jack says, "Who are you going with?" I scoff at that. Darry letting me go to a dance? Not going to happen in this lifetime.

"What, you can't say you're not going? What about Amy Allan. She's always flirting with you. And she's pretty." Jack suggests. I shake my head even though I know he can't see me. He'd never understand my predicament.

"No, I can't go." I tell him. "Two-bit, I said that was a potato peeler, not an apple peeler! Put it back!"

"Jeez, alright." He snaps. "Someone's in a bad mood."

"Why can't you go? Everyone is going! Besides I don't want to go alone. And girls are scary, ya know?" He whines. I can't help but laugh. I do agree with him on that.

"Well I can ask, but my brother probably won't let me." I answer.

"Won't let you what?" Darry asks gruffly from the kitchen entrance. I freeze up instantly at the sound of his voice, and prepare to be hit, but then I remember that Two-bit is here with me.

"Hi Dar! I'm not positive, but I think he and his little friend are talking about the dance at school next Saturday." Two-bit greets him. I swallow hard.

"Uh Jack, I got to go. See ya okay?" I stutter into the phone. Darry is giving me a hard look that I can feel even with my back turned. Before Jack can answer, Darry takes the phone from my hand and talks into it.

"Who's this? A friend from school?" Darry asks, pausing to listen to Jack answer. He glares at me even harder. "Well, do me a favor _Jack_ and stay away from brother. I don't know who the hell you are, but you don't sound like someone I would want Pony to hang out with."

"Darry he's fine! I-" I start to protest. Darry snaps around quickly to face me. I cringe and wait for the blow, but Darry just sends an annoyed look to Two-bit. Two-bit seems both confused and lost.

"Ponyboy go wait in your room." Darry orders meanly. I give Two-bit an apologetic look before heading to my room. I've seriously screwed up; now I'm in big, big, trouble.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Dear Soda,_

_I'm sorry you're lost. I'm lost too. I know that you're thinking that Tulsa is not a very big place to get lost in, but you'd be surprised. I get lost everyday._

My nose is bleeding and it mixes with the blood from my mouth. I place my hands on my knees and suck in a deep breath. My side throbs with an explosion of pain.

_Explosions. I bet you see a lot of those over there. Does it hurt, Soda? Please tell me if it hurts, because I think it hurts so bad._

"Why do you make me do this, huh? Why do you make me hurt you?" Darry whispers. His huge hands pin me against the wall by my shoulders.

"It hurts." I cry. "It hurts so bad."

_I'm sorry you're lost. I'm so sorry you're lost. I keep looking for you. everyday I look for you, but you're so hard to find._

"It hurts me too. I just want what's best for you, Pony. It's too dangerous. I can't protect you if you're not where you're supposed to be." Darry tells me gently. He lets go of my shoulders and lets me fall to the floor. I curl up into a ball, drawing my knees to my chest.

_I'm so sorry Soda. I'm sorry you had to leave. I'm sorry you can't come home. _

"Shh, you're okay. I'm here." Darry pulls me into his lap and rocks me back and forth. "It's okay. No more crying."

_I'm sorry Soda. I'm-_

"Sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I know baby. I know. I forgive you."

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	4. Accusations

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 4**: accusations

It's Tuesday and I'm spending the day in bed. Darry didn't want my teachers questioning his 'disciplining methods', so instead I'm on total lockdown. Two-bit didn't even question it when Darry told him I was sick and wasn't coming to school today. He just decided not to go either; not like he goes most of the time anyways. My lip is swollen and my nose hurts a lot, but nothing is broken. I am pretty sure that at least one of my ribs is fractured though. It's not even one in the afternoon yet and Darry has already called three times. I've written four letters to Soda, two to Johnny, and one to my parents. It was the first time I'd ever written a letter to my parents, even if it was inside my head. It went something like;

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_You think dying in a car accident was hard? Try dying three times. Once in a hospital from serious burns and a broken back. Once from being shot under the streetlights. And once in the Vietnam war. At this rate, you should be seeing me pretty soon. _

_-Your son_

_P.S. Tell Soda I love him._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I must have fallen asleep again, because when I wake up Two-bit is standing over me. He has this serious look on his face that is uncommon for him to wear.

"What? You aint ever seen a sick person before?" I ask him jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. He doesn't even crack a smile though.

"Ponyboy, what happen to your face?" Two-bit questions. It's odd for him to use my full first name like that, so I know he's really worried.

"Jeez Two-bit, you're not all that pretty to look at either, but you don't hear me complaining." I continue to kid as I sit up in bed and rub my eyes clear. I shouldn't have fell asleep again. I really should think more often.

"I'm serious Pony. It hurt to sit up like that?" He asks and I mentally curse myself for wincing.

"Nah. I'm good. Quit worrying." I state, taking my time to stand up. "You doing anything productive today, or are you just going to continue to be a lazy bum?" Two-bit is at my side in no time, helping me stand. I jerk out of his reach.

"Look Pony, at first I thought maybe you're little clumsy story was a little far fetched but now..." Two-bit says. I feel the blood leave my face and my hands shake.

"Y-you want something to eat? I'm kinda hungry." I say quickly, rushing off to the kitchen. Two-bit follows me slowly. He grabs my shoulder gently as I open the refrigerator to look for some eggs.

"Is...are you and...are you and Darry okay?" Two-bit asks quietly. "I mean does he-"

"Stop it Keith. Just stop." I demand loudly, slamming the eggs on the counter. "Just stop it, please." I say more quietly. Neither one of us say anything, so I use the opportunity to start frying the eggs.

"You want some?" I ask softly, trying to break the awkward silence. He takes the fork out of my hand and fries the eggs himself.

"You sit. I got this." He tells me.

"Don't treat me like some invalid, sick, person Two-bit Matthews." I snap even though I've already sat down at the table. He gives me a forced smile.

"I thought you _were_ sick."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"What's the difference between an orange?" Two-bit asks, scooping more cake into his mouth. He hasn't left me alone since noon, claiming he didn't have anything else to do but bug me. I don't mind though. Actually I'd rather listen to his dumb jokes than sit at home alone.

"An orange and what?" I ask, knowing this joke is going to be just as pointless and unfunny as the last.

"Just an orange." He answers smirking. Well, at least he thinks he's funny.

"I don't know. What's the difference?"

"A car has doors and a motorcycle doesn't." He informs me, laughing. I don't even pretend to get it.

"Are you _trying_ to drive me insane? Two-bit, that makes no sense whatsoever." I tell him. He stretches out on the couch and winks at me.

"I know. That's the point." He says. I shake my head and decide not to answer anymore of his jokes. I don't have to either, because he changes the subject to something I wish I could forget about.

"Heard anything new about Soda?" I stare at the hole in the ceiling; smiling at the memory of how it got there.

_"Soda, just because Santa brings the presents through the roof, doesn't mean that the Christmas tree goes through the roof too." My mom had told Soda laughing. _

I had asked how Santa could get the presents into the house since we didn't have a fireplace, and Soda had told me that he probably just came through the roof and fixed it when he was done. I had insisted that we try it out to make sure it would work. Dad ended up fixing the roof on the outside, and just left the hole in the ceiling on the inside.

"No. Nothing new." I tell Two-bit. He looks at me sadly before asking if Darry ever talked about him. I shook my head.

"Well, he'll be okay." Two-bit announces. I give a sarcastic laugh.

"He's dead Two-bit." I state coldly. His eyes grow wide with surprise.

"Pony, you can't just give up on him like that!" He scolds. I roll my eyes.

"I aint givin' up on no one Two-bit. I'm just facing the truth. He's dead." I tell him matter-of-factly. And then I laugh to keep from crying.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I used to wonder why people would watch the same movie over and over again. I used to think that a movie ends the same way each time, so there was no point in watching it more than once. Now I know why people watch the same movie over and over again; it's because they might see something they missed the first time. It's like when you rethink certain events and see how much you could have learned had you just paid attention. With hindsight you can catch the clues and hints and that you were too impatient to catch the first time. That's how I feel now when I think about the night my parents died, or the night Johnny killed Bob, or the night Dallas was murdered in the lot, or the day Soda left for Nam. I can see with eerie frustration the things that each of them had in common. The things they said with their eyes and hands and movements.

Before Soda left he had told me that if he didn't come back, I had to be good for Darry. I had to listen to him and be patient with him, because we were all he had. That he would do anything to protect us.

I had thought nothing of it. Soda would come back, and Darry had a lot more to live for than just the two of us. I was wrong.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Curly Shepard came by at four today and told Two-bit and I that Steve had been locked away at a mental institution for trying to commit suicide.

After he left I cried for almost an hour. Then the phone rang.

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	5. Charlie the Cook

**Note**: As always, thanks for the reviews. It's nice to hear what you guys think; what works and what doesn't. So far I'm hearing a lot of comments about Soda. He sure has some fans, so I'm granting the wish. Sort of. And yeah, Darry is kind of scary.

I guess now I'm supposed to say that I don't own the characters, it's still rated T, and all that good, fun, jazz. Though I'm sure most people just skip on down to where the story begins.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 5**: Charlie the Cook

"Are you sure you have the right number?" I ask hesitantly.

"Am I sure...Jeez Louise, Of course I'm fuckin' sure! I mean, I'm not sure how many Sodapop Curtis' there are in the world, but there sure as hell aint more than one in Tulsa! Now, you got the message? Did you write the number down? This is important kid! Hello? Earth to the voice on the other side of the phone line!" Charlie-the-best-damned-cook-in-the-army calls. I shake my head fast, carefully noting how the room spins, and close my eyes to keep from being sick.

"Uh, yeah, I got the message. Tell Soda to call Charlie-"

"The-best-damned-cook-in-the-army. There are a lot of Charlie's." He adds informatively. I nod.

"Right. Call him at 342-1107, pronto." I relay.

"Right, right. Nice work kid. Remember it's important, okay?" He tells me. Two-bit is staring at me curiously while I converse with this nut job on the other end of the phone. I swallow hard, and then ask the question I've been thinking in my mind.

"You know him? I mean, you're friends with him?"

"No, I just randomly call people I've never met. It's a social anxiety therapy technique." He barks sarcastically. "Yes I fuckin' know him!"

"I haven't seen him. I mean, for along time. I mean...he's lost." I inform him sullenly. By this time I'm almost positive that this guy is crazy.

"What's he saying?" Two-bit inquires, but I blow him off.

"Look kid, let me tell ya something. Socks can be lost, books can be lost, hell, even feelings can be lost...but people can't be lost. It aint that simple." He states, as if we were talking about the weather.

"He's _missing_ then. We don't fuckin' know where he is!" I yell bitterly. Two-bit gives me a surprised look, since I never cuss. Charlie however, only laughs.

"Well, ya' might wanna tell em' that, cause last time I talked to em' he wasn't informed of his misplacement." The guy says with amusement. I'm so frustrated I could pull my hair out.

"And that was?" I ask him nervously. I just keep thinking this is too good to be true. This guy has to be insane.

"Uh, well, about a week ago. He was gripin' and complainin' about his shoulder wound, the pansy. Said he was getting a ride back home. I told em' I would shoot my own fuckin' arm off if I could get the hell outta here!" Charlie says laughing loudly. "Hell I'd-"

"You said he's coming back home?" I interrupt him.

"Soda?! Soda's coming back home?!" Two-bit asks happily, jumping on the couch. "I toldja he was fine! I said he'd be okay! And you were over here talking all this nonsense about him being dead and what not-"

"Two-bit, shut up!" I demand playfully. I'm not angry anymore.

"Well, yeah. He said he tried to call but the phone line was busy. I thought maybe he had a couple of teenage sisters." Charlie answers amusedly.

"But they said he was missing-" I say to myself.

"Hell kid, everyone and their grandma goes missing at some point. I wake up missing all the time."

"And now?" I ask quickly, suddenly afraid that this was all a dream I'd wake up from.

"And now I reckon he's on a plane to Tulsa. Should be there by morning. I'm sure he's tried to call ya' ten times already, but we've been on the phone." He hints. I take it readily.

"Right then, I should probably go." I tell him, ready to hang up.

"Probably. Just remember to tell em' I called. It's important. And don't forget the cook part."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"And then he said?" Two-bit urges. I've went over the conversation with him three times already, but he wanted to go over it yet again when Darry got home. For once, I wasn't worried about seeing Darry. I was almost excited even to give him the good news.

"And then he said that we should tell Soda he was missing next time we saw him, cause he didn't know it." I answer, smiling. I can't help it. It's like everything's okay again. When Darry had first came home to see me out of bed and Two-bit with me, I thought he was going to hit the roof. But after we started to explain the phone call, Darry regained the light in his eyes that he used to have before our parents died.

"Yeah but the officer told us-" Darry starts.

"He told us that mistakes happen. Miss drops and name changes and all sorts of stuff." I interrupt. Darry laughs and comes forward to give me a hug, but I back away quickly before I can stop myself. Two-bit gives Darry a sideways glance before taking a step towards the door.

"Well uh, maybe I should go down to the hospital and tell Steve." Two-bit says uncomfortably.

"No!" I vehemently reply. Two-bit gives me a startled look and Darry looks at the floor.

"Not now." I whisper. Two-bit nods understandingly, which sets Darry off.

"What is this?! Some kind of code between the two of you?! Pony is perfectly fine here with me alone!" Darry screams, making it evident that me here alone with him was anything _but_ fine.

"I know Dar, just figured I'd wait and tell Steve when Soda was here himself. We could all go up there together..." Two-bit trails off, playing with his hands uncomfortably. I silently beg Darry to let it go.

"Fine but it's late anyways and Pony has school tomorrow." Darry says more quietly, but still obviously angry.

"Well, I was thinking I would stay over tonight. Might even plan on going to school tomorrow myself." Two-bit says stubbornly, flopping down on the couch. I silently thank him and resist the urge to hug him.

"Actually Darry..." I say quietly, afraid of him again, "I thought maybe I'd stay home again tomorrow. especially since Soda's supposed to arrive in the morning." His body loosens up at the mention of Soda, and he nods as he grabs his jacket.

"Okay then. Maybe we can go see a movie."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Dear Soda,_

_Good news! This is the last letter I'll have to write to you in my head. Darry, Two-bit, and I, are at the movie house, seeing some film about invading zombies. I'm not sure any of us are watching it. Two-bit hasn't left to flirt with any girls though, he's too busy sitting between Darry and I. I can't tell you why because I don't want you to worry, but I'm hoping that after you come home no one will have to sit between us again. I can't wait to see you. I hope you're not anything like Steve. Or this guy named Charlie that called. He's crazy, even if he is the best-damned-cook-in-the-army._

_Love,_

_P.M Curtis_

_P.S. I hope you haven't changed as much as I have._

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	6. Private Curtis

N**ote**: Wow, thanks guys for all the reviews. I was actually worried at first about posting this story, but I'm glad you seem to enjoy it. It certainly encourages me to keep writing it quickly. Be sure to tell me if something seems too rushed or confusing.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 6**: Private Curtis

It's technically Tuesday as of two hours ago. Two-bit fell asleep on the couch after getting stupid drunk, and Darry is wearing a hole in the carpet from walking back and forth across his room so many times. I'm in his bed reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for school and wondering how good the movie we saw would have been if I had actually watched it. There's a lot of things unsaid between the two of us, and it's almost suffocating.

"What did you tell him?" Darry asks me suddenly in an unemotional tone. Unemotional is usually my role these days, so it surprises me.

"Hm? Whatcha mean?" I ask him cautiously. Strangely enough, with Two-bit asleep on the couch and Soda due home any time now, I'm not worried about Darry hurting me. I'm sure it's not a very smart state of mind, given his state of mind, but it's how I feel nonetheless. And it's about damn time.

"Two-bit. What didja tell em'?" He asks more specifically. He stops pacing the room so that he can look at me. I glance up from the book and back down at it quickly.

"I don't know what you're talking about Dar." I answer more bravely. I'm hoping he'll go back to his pacing and leave me the hell alone. Of course, I've never had such luck.

"Ponyboy Curtis, put the fucking book down and answer me. Don't feed me this bullshit about not knowing what I'm talking about either." He demands angrily. He's not yelling since he doesn't want to wake up Two-bit, but not even that'll stop him if I keep it up. And Two-bit won't be much help drunk.

"Darry, I didn't tell Two-bit anything. He came over, we hung out, and I listened to his lame-assed jokes about the difference between an orange." I tell him truthfully, smirking at the memory of Two-bit's joke. Now it does seem kind of funny. Darry obviously doesn't think so though, because he grabs the book from my hand, rips it in two, and throws the pieces across the room.

"Do _not_ fuck with me Ponyboy!" Darry hisses. I stare at the pieces if the book aimlessly.

"Just so you know, that book wasn't mine. Now I'm going to have to buy a new one." I state unemotionally. Darry jerks me out of bed and slams me into the wall. My left shoulder throbs with pain.

"I will not take this kind of disrespect from you Pony. Now you have five seconds to tell me what the _fuck_ was said between you and Keith! I know something was said, an idiot wouldn't miss the looks the two of you were passing! Him not wanting to leave me with you alone, him sitting between us. What did you tell him, huh? Did you tell him I punish you when you don't do what you're told?" Darry is practically screaming. I'm desperately hoping that Two-bit will wake up even though I know he's a heavy sleeper.

"Darry...Darry please. I didn't say anything to him!" I try, backing up against the wall as far as possible. He slams his fist into my stomach and I double over with fatigue. The room spins as I try to regain strength. Just breathe, I tell myself.

"Darry please. Darry, I didn't have to tell him anything. He could just tell. He saw my face and he knew. Please don't hurt me!" I plead. Darry grabs a fist full of my hair and yanks my head back so that he can look me in the eyes.

"All I want to do is keep you safe. I try and I try and this is what I get." He says sadly. Even though his grip doesn't loosen, his face changes to one of disappointment.

"I love you Pony, don't you see that? I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't keep Soda safe. He was taken away from me. And now you're trying to get taken away from me too. Well, I won't let that happen Pony. I love you too much. I will _not_ let someone take you from me." He whispers fiercely.

"Darry, it's not like that. I don't want to be taken away. And Soda? Darry that wasn't your fault." I tell him. He lets go of me abruptly and punches the wall beside my head. I flinch unwillingly.

"It's was my fucking fault! I shouldn't have let them take him away from me!" He yells.

"He's coming back though, Darry! He's coming home any time now." I remind him. He turns to face me and takes a step towards me. I don't step back, not because I'm not afraid, but because I've got no where to go. Darry wraps one arm around my waist and the other around my head, pulling me into him. I bury my head in his chest and hug him back, crying into him and he cries into me.

"He's coming home." Darry's words muffle into my hair. "He's really coming home."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It's four in the morning and it hasn't stopped raining for nearly two hours. Darry finally cried himself to sleep, and Two-bit never woke up from drunk dreamland. I'm sitting on the front porch, listening to the raindrops smash against the roof melodiously. I've always loved to watch it rain. It's so nice when it's this quiet and no one's out. It thunders every now and then, and sometimes the lightening strikes through the sky, but it's so still between those times.

Even though I can't sleep, I find that I'm too tired to do anything but let the wind rock me on the wooden front porch swing. I remember the day we first had it put up. It was the day that Soda decided he wanted to be an astronaut. Mom had told him he'd have to go to school for a long time, so I guess it's out of the question now.

I'm too tired to even write letters in my head. I tried writing one to Johnny since I haven't in a while, but I didn't get past 'how've you been" before I forgot what I wanted to say. I'm not really sure what there is to say. When you've went through so much with someone, it's hard to pretend that "I'm okay" is the acceptable answer to everything.

A black car slows down in front of our house, the headlights coloring the street in front of it. For a moment nothing happens, the car just sits there catching rain. Then, a figure hops out of the passenger seat and slings a dark bag over his shoulder. I stand up and place my hand in front on my face, as if it were sunlight keeping me from seeing who it was. The man waves at the car, watches it drive off, then stares at me from the middle of the road. I step out of the protection of the front porch and let the rain soak me. Water runs down my face and hair and sad-excuse-for-pajamas. I take another step towards the figure and let my hand fall down to my side.

"Hey you!" The man calls, dropping the bag to the ground. He opens his arms out towards me. I run like Satan is after me, flinging myself into his arms and tasting the salt water as runs over my lips. He twirls me around in the empty street, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Soda...I missed you so much!" I cry, squeezing the living daylights out of him. He puts me down and stares at me happily, brushing my wet hair out of my eyes. He smiles and pulls me back into a hug.

"That's Private Curtis to you."

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"But it's the truth, even if it didn't happen."

-Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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	7. War

**Note**: Thanks for the reviews. As always, they are much appreciated.

**Along Came a Spider **

**Chapter 7**: War

"They told you guys that? That I was missing?" Soda asks with a hint of amusement and confusion. It's four in the afternoon and the four of us have barely been up three hours. After not getting to bed until five in the morning, we all but slept through lunch. Two-bit order a pizza, which none of us have eaten but him.

"Yeah, on more than one occasion." Darry says to him from across the kitchen. Soda and I are at the table, plates in front us, pretending we're hungry. Darry hasn't sat down. So far he's drank three cups of coffee without sitting down, or looking at me.

"Odd. But ya know, mix ups happen all the time. With all the men out there, it's hardly possible to keep up with us all." Soda says without anger. That's one thing I'm glad about; he didn't come home angry or hateful or bitter. Maybe a little more calm and a lot more grown-up, but he's still our same Soda.

"Still, keepin' us worried like that. I outta complain to the officers in charge." Darry disagrees, but his tone is absent of spitefulness. It seems that most of the fight drained out of him as soon as Soda woke him up to tell him he was home. Obviously things have changed between us though, and Soda has already picked up on it. I tried hard to not drop any hints, but between Darry's refusal to come near me and Two-bit's refusal to leave us alone together, it's not that hard to pick up on.

"So, uh, since when did Pony start sleeping with you Darry?" Soda asks to ease the silence. None of us have really known what to say to each other, relying on Two-bit to resolve the tension.

"He uh...you know nightmares and stuff." Darry answers cautiously. I can feel his eyes beg me to agree, but I don't look at him. I just nod.

"Still havin' those huh? Luckily I haven't had em' too bad. Steve though, he's a different story. Used to toss and turn on the bunks at night. The combat really got to him something awful..." He trial off. "He come around at all? I know he was sent home." Two-bit and I exchange glances, silently asking who should tell him. Two-bit looks away first, and I know that means it's my job.

"Um, Soda...can I speak to you outside?" I ask him. He looks at me strangely, then tosses a glance to Darry, before standing up.

"Sure kiddo." He answers. Darry's worried look doesn't go unnoticed.

"Don't worry." I say to him bitterly after Soda walks on the front porch. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"So, how's school?" Soda asks distractively as I sit down beside him on the swing.

"It's school. Not much has changed." I tell him. He looks at me closely.

"No knew friends?" He asks with concern. I do my best to avoid his gaze.

"Not really." I answer truthfully. He drapes his arm over my shoulders.

"You'll find em', don't worry. Just takes time. How's track?" He says. I sigh inwardly. Why does he have to bring up all the hard topics?

"I don't run anymore." I mutter. He stops swinging and faces me.

"Why not? And no lies Ponyboy." He states seriously. I blow out a breath of air and watch it disappear into the cold afternoon.

"Soda...just...a lot has changed is all. I just didn't want to run." I tell him. He looks at me before shaking his head.

"You're lying to me Pony. I always know when you lie." He states. I sigh again.

"Soda-"

"Pony, what's going on? Things aren't the same. You look pale and skinny and...older." He says, hopping off the swing to stand in front of me.

"I could say the same about you." I observe. He doesn't answer so I go on. "Soda, you didn't really expect to come home to everything the same way it was when you left, did you? I mean, it's been a long time. I _am_ older, and I've worried a lot. And...things have been different." He places his hands on my shoulders and stares into my eyes.

"Like what Pony? What has been different? Why don't you run track? Why don't you have any friends? Why are you and Darry staying away from each other, and why is Two-bit between you two? What's going on?" He asks with frustration. I look down from his scrutinizing eyes, only to have him lift my chin up to look at him again.

"I'm not letting this go Pony. I need to know what's went on while I was out fighting." He tells me. I pull myself away from him and walk to the edge of the porch.

"A war Soda. A really big one."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Two-bit told Soda about Steve after I made my way to my room without saying a word. I know he took it badly only because I could hear Darry whispering comforting words to him, promising that we'd go visit him soon. I wipe my eyes on my sleeves impatiently, hating Darry more than ever. Not because he hurt me, but because he hurt me because he missed Soda. I find myself hating Soda too, for leaving me and for not helping me. For crying over Steve instead of me. I know this is selfish, and so I cry harder. I cry because I've got no one, and because I'm lonely, and because I know how Steve and Dallas and Johnny feel. Or at least how they felt.

I cry because I can't hate Darry. I cry because I want to hate him, but I love him too much. Not only have I forgiven him, but I want him to forgive me for whatever I did to make him hate me so much. I can't hate Soda either. I envy him for being better than I am in every way. A better friend, a better son, a better brother...

I cry because I can't hate anyone. I can't hate Bob Sheldon, or Johnny, or Dallas Winston, or my parents. I cry because I was so stupid to think that Soda coming home would fix everything. I cry because I can't hate anyone, and I want to hate the whole fucking world.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

It's seven o' clock and the seven of us are sitting at a local diner. I don't say anything to anyone, I just stare at my food and pretend I'm eating. I'm not very good at pretending, so everyone notices my picking, but no one says anything. Soda and Two-bit are trying desperately to start conversation, but I don't say anything and Darry just looks around the place suspiciously. I feel like we've been sitting here forever when Jack comes by with a blond chick on one arm.

"Hey Pony! What's up?" Jack asks. "This is my girlfriend Trisha." I offer a half smile and nod at her.

"Guess you found your date then." I state uninterestingly. He nods at me and smiles widely, obviously proud.

"Yep. Just in time too. You sure you're not going?" He asks me. I look back down at my plate for a moment and then back up at him.

"Not going where?" Soda asks interestedly. I inwardly cringe.

"The Winter dance at school. I've been trying to get him to go for weeks." Jack exclaims.

"Yeah, it'll be fun. 'Sides I know lots of girls that would gladly go with you." Trisha says, winking.

"Pony, why don't you go?" Soda asks me. "I'm Sodapop by the way. Pony's brother." He tells Jack proudly. It almost makes me want to cry again. I haven't felt proud of in a long while.

"Uh, Jack." Jack says nervously, taking Soda's outstretched hand. I think rapidly about how I can change the subject, but I don't think fast enough.

"And this is Darry. Our other brother." Soda introduces. Jack's hand falls limp in Soda's before he jerks it away. Jack steps back, meeting Darry's vacant eyes, and stutters and apology.

"I-I uh better be goin'. See ya in school Pony." Jack says hurriedly, grabbing Trisha's arms and leading her off. He sends an apologetic look to me over his shoulder, and a frightened one to Darry, before exiting the diner completely.

"That was odd." Two-bit says with his mouth full. Soda pushes his chair back across the tile floor, making it squeak loudly.

"I wanna know what the fuck is going on!" He yells angrily, catching the other customers' attention. He passes a knowing look to Two-bit and I, and a piercing one to Darry. "Right now."

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	8. Welcome Home

**Note**: I want to thank each of you who reviewed the last chapter.

**xodamhsoirxo**, Thanks for correcting my grammar. I try to catch them before I post the chapter, but I guess I read too fast. ;) Also thanks to:

**Harrypotterfanaticgirl**, **Unknown Brilliance**, **BSBnACcHiCk**, **Medea Crowley**, **stereochick**, **linda5576**, **CrazyXbEAUTIFUL**, **EveryRoseHasAThorn**, **SisterCat144**, **RatsRule**, **Troyella0**, and anyone else who's reading.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 8**: Welcome Home

Some awkward silences are worse than others. Like ones that occur right before you know something bad is about to happen. I immediately remember the silence that followed the death of Bob Sheldon. It's like that now. Maybe even the exact same silence, except worse. I wish now that a dead person was the worst of my problems.

"Soda…maybe we should go see Steve." Two-bit says quietly. I've never seen Two-bit so serious, Darry so scared, and Soda so angry. I feel like we've all switched places, which could easily be the case, since now I feel invisible. Like I'm watching a really bad movie with really good actors. Soda props his elbows on his knees, leaning forward on the couch. At first I think he's going to answer Two-bit, maybe even agree to his suggestion, but he darts his eyes to Darry instead.

"So tell me about your friend Pony." Soda states dangerously, not bothering to look at me. "Or maybe you can tell me about him Darry? Hm? Jack was it? You wanna tell me what Jack was afraid of Dar? Why he ran off so quickly?" Darry looks from me to Two-bit, but neither one of us are looking at him. I wish now more than anything that I could know what was going on in Darry's head.

"I don't know em'. He called once, but that's all." Darry answers truthfully. Soda stands up and paces the length of our living room, his cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I feel like a kid in the principal's office.

"I know I didn't finish high school Darry, and I don't know, maybe you hold that against me…but I'm not a moron." Soda tells him. At least I think it's Soda, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone else in his body. I've never seen Soda so outraged before, and I really wish he would just forget about it. I would do anything to let this go and start over. I would even pretend that everything was okay between Darry and me if it would make Soda go back to normal.

"I don't hold it against you Sodapop. I know why you dropped out." Darry tells him. Soda whirls around and faces him angrily.

"Oh good, I'm so glad!" Soda screams sarcastically. "Now tell me what the fuck went on while I wasn't here! Someone! Two-bit? Pony? Anyone wanna explain this to me?"

"Soda…calm down, alright? Please." I beg quietly. He turns to me, frustration and pain in his eyes, and I know he knows exactly what went on while he was gone. I know he's waiting for someone to tell him he's wrong, that everything was fine, and it was just a misunderstanding. He wants to be wrong just as badly as I want to be wrong and Two-bit wants to be wrong, and that's what makes him right.

"I'm sorry Soda." Darry whispers. He's looking at the floor and his shoulders are hunched, and I know he's crying. Suddenly I'm so angry.

"You're sorry _Soda_?!" I yell. "How about 'I'm sorry _Pony_'? How about I'm sorry Pony for hurting you and making you cry and not letting you have any friends?! Or even _better_, how about, I'm sorry Pony for not loving you no matter how fucking hard you try to please me? How about, I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me? Jesus Christ, I'm sorry _Soda_?"

The awkward silence is back again, except now instead of being invisible, I'm the center of attention. Instead of the audience, I'm the lead actor, and everyone is staring at me with nothing to say. Or maybe _so_ much to say that they don't know where to begin. Soda opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. They stare at me and I stare back at them through a film of tears. Suddenly I let out a bitter, chilling laugh.

"Happy fucking homecoming, _Private_ Curtis!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I don't know what day it is, and frankly I don't care. I don't know what time it is, though I'm guessing it's almost midnight. It's dark, it's raining, and it's cold. I couldn't stay in the house anymore. It was too light, too dry, and too hot. I just took off. Figures none of them came after me, they're probably still staring at the spot I was standing in with that dumb look on their faces. The thought of it makes me burst out in hysterics. The fucking-

"Goddamned morons!" I partly think and partly scream out loud. I know I should stop before someone hears me.

"Fuck that! I hope someone hears me! I hope all of Tulsa can hear me! I hate you Darryl Curtis! I hate you Steve and Johnny and Dallas! I hate you Mom and Dad and the fucking invisible God up there! I hate the whole world! But most of all, I hate you Sodapop Curtis and I hate the fucking war!" I scream until my throat closes up and I can't yell anymore. I lay down in the middle of the street, my eyes to the sky, soaking up the rain like I did not too long ago.

"_We all carry on  
When our brothers in arms are gone  
So raise your glass high  
For tomorrow we die,  
And return from the ashes you call._"

I sing softly to myself, thinking how nicely the car horns sound to it.

oOoOoOoOoOoO

I still don't know what day it is, and I still don't know what time it is. I pump my legs harder, pushing myself higher and higher into the sky. I haven't swung like this in years. Or maybe it's only been months and it just feels like it's been years. Maybe I'm insane, though I don't think I'm that lucky.

It's barely sprinkling now. My whole body is shaking and the wind on top of the swing's friction isn't helping. I'm freezing and I'm thinking that maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that means I can feel things now. I let go of the swing's icy chains and place my hands in my lap. Here goes nothing, I think, taking in a deep breath. I wait until the swing hits it's highest point, and then I jump off, hovering in the air for a quick lifetime. I land on my arm and it twists unnaturally, sending a searing pain through my shoulder.

I pretend I'm back in Darry's arms on the day the church burned down. I savor the look he gave me and the tears he cried as he told me he was afraid he had lost me. I use my good arm to push myself to my feet. I watch the vacant swing rock back and forth in the wind, and listen to the way the chains squeak where they've rusted. I ignore the pain in my left arm and make my way home, wondering when it got to be so goddamned cold.

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	9. I'm Okay

**Note**: Thanks for reviewing; both the good ones and the bad. I'm trying to keep this as realistic as possible, which isn't too hard when you're a teenager. Angst is taken in doses.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 9**: I'm Okay

I stare at my house from across the street and think about how stupid I am. Stupid to have been walking around all night in the rain. Stupid to have been singing old war songs in the middle of the street. Stupid to have thrown myself off of a swing just to prove a point, which I've already forgotten. Stupid to be standing here in front of my own house watching my brother watch me from the front porch because both of us are too stupid to do anything else.

The street is no-man's-land. Darry takes a step off the porch, walks to the end of our yard, and then turns his back to me to stare at our house too. For a moment I think this is how we'll die; in two different worlds less than five yards away from each other. I try to remember how many feet that would be, and then remember that it must be Wednesday. I always have math tests on Wednesday. I'm still converting yards into feet when Darry turns back around to face me. He waves to me and I feel like I should wave back, but my left arm is protectively cradled in my right.

I think about how this might seem strange to anyone else, and how it should seem strange to me but doesn't. Darry puts his hand down and crosses the street to stand beside me. We don't look at each other.

"Looks different from over here." He says quietly.

"No." I disagree. "You're just not used to seeing things from different perspectives." He tosses a sideways glance at me, and then adverts his attention back to the house.

"Your arm doesn't look too good." He comments casually, and I wonder if this would be considered small talk.

"Your face doesn't look too good either." I echo, noticing the reddening of his eye. He smiles sadly and nods in agreement.

"I uh…" He starts, but then shakes his head at himself. I think maybe he's going insane, though I don't think I'm that lucky.

"Soda must've learned some tricks in the army." He decides on saying. I look at him doubtfully.

"That doesn't sound like Soda at all. He doesn't normally go around hitting people." I counter, the scenes of Soda in the last rumble come to mind. I guess _normally_ would be the key world.

"Well, you know how he is about his little brother." Darry says proudly. "Real protective when someone messes with him." I shrug and pull a cigarette out of my back pocket, only to realize they're soaked from the rain.

"Figures." I mutter, tossing the whole pack to the ground. "So…where's this army guy now?" Darry rubs his eyes tiredly and lets out a breath.

"Out. Looking for his brother." He tells me. I vaguely wonder why he's referring to me in third person, but decide to play along anyways.

"And his brother is…?" I ask curiously. He doesn't look at me. There's a long silence before he says anything.

"I'm sorry Pony. I'm sorry for hurting you and making you cry and not letting you have any friends. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me." He whispers the words I yelled at him earlier, not caring that he's crying. "But…" He turns to me finally, taking my face in his hands, and stares at me with all the anguish in the world.

"But I always. Always. Loved you."

"I know." I admit. And then I get sick in the green, purple, blue, black, street.

OOoOoOoOoOoO

Darry and I are at the table, plates in front of us, pretending we're hungry. Soda hasn't sat down. He's at the counter, back turned to us, crying silently. It's easier seeing Soda cry, he's supposed to.

"So when did it start?" He asks cautiously. He obviously doesn't want to know, and Darry really doesn't want to tell him, and I really don't want to hear it. I think that the logical thing to do would be to just forget it, but Soda isn't the logical one in the family.

"Can we not do this?" I ask, fiddling with the new cast on my left arm. "We have more important things to worry about."

"Oh, you mean like what would happen if the teachers got suspicious? Or what could've happened if a social worker stopped by? You know, just to pay a visit? See how the ole Curtis family was doing? You mean those kinds of important things?" Soda asks. There is anger in his voice, but more sorrow than anger. More pain, I think. Maybe guilt. Darry places his head in his hands like this idea has never crossed his mind. Probably hasn't either.

"It was so wrong_. I_ was so wrong. I just got carried away. Got angry because they took you away from me. I was afraid of loosing him too…" Darry confides. He's not crying, probably all cried out for life, but he's not far from it.

"Still here." I remind him. I know by now that I should be used to people talking like I wasn't around.

"They didn't take me away Darry! They needed me to fight for my country! I thought you could understand that. I'm proud of what I did over there. I'm proud of the scar on my shoulder! You didn't loose me Darry. You could never loose me. And to take this out on Pony! After everything he's been through, everything _we've_ been through…"

"I know I…I know." Darry responds.

"Soda?" I interrupt.

"Yeah kiddo?" He asks nicely.

"Charlie called." I state randomly. He looks at me like I've lost my mind.

"Charlie?" He asks with confusion.

"Yeah, you know, the best-damned-cook-in-the-army?" I say, because when you've gone through so much with someone, it's hard to pretend that "I'm okay" is the acceptable answer to everything.

* * *

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	10. Orphans Saving Orphans

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 10**: Orphans Saving Orphans

When I think of a cook I normally picture a fat, bald, guy with a huge white hat. In my head they're always Italian with high-pitched voices and big eyes. Charlie met none of these expectations. For one thing, his eyes are small and piercing, raging blue with laughter. His muscles bulge out from under his stained t-shirt, revealing many abnormal tattoos. His thick black hair is spiked on his round head, and he certainly isn't Italian.

"So she says to me, in her cute Vietnamese accent, 'I'm already married'. And I say, 'hell, aren't we all'." Charlie says in his thick, Chicago, voice. He roars with laughter at his story of the Vietnamese woman he tried to sleep with. I can hardly keep up with most of his stories.

"So you came all the way over here to tell me you tried to fuck a married Vietnamese chick?" Soda asks smiling. He had called Charlie back about this 'important information', and Charlie had insisted on dropping by. He said it was too good to announce over the phone.

"Oh yeah, about that. Shit, you know I gave that message...musta' been a week ago! What the hell took you so long to call back?" Charlie asks after some thought. Soda exchanges looks with Darry that I'm too tired to read into.

"We had some family issues that needed tending to." Soda answers apologetically. Charlie shrugs and mutters something like, 'I'm sorry I asked'. "When did you get home? Or…back in the states rather?" Soda asks him, anxious to get to the point. Charlie leans back in the chair that's usually Darry's and props his hands behind his head.

"Couple days after you. Can't go back to Illinois yet, I'm just on break. Not permanently excused because of a lousy shoulder wound." Charlie says without anger. Soda laughs.

"I'll have you know that this shoulder wound wasn't so lousy at the time. Bastard nearly blew my arm off." Soda counters. Charlie waves his hand dismissively. Darry shifts uncomfortably, obviously not enjoying the talk of war.

"Anyhow, I came here to tell you that Lieutenant Morgan has decided to award you and your friend Steve-o the Medal of Honor. Apparently saving Vietnamese orphans is considered heroic." Charlie tells my brother, winking at him. Soda laughs and shakes his head unbelievingly.

"You're kidding right? I mean…that's like the highest honor there is!" Soda exclaims. I can't help but smile at his excitement, thinking that maybe Soda going war wasn't all bad.

"Nope. Not kidding at all. Congratulations pal, you deserve it. You and you're friend Steve…the stingy-" Charlie congratulates. Soda stops him from muttering about Steve.

"Thanks. Thanks for telling me, and for stopping by. It's nice to see ya." Soda answers, walking Charlie to the front door.

"No problem. Maybe when this whole shit of a war is over with, I'll stop by again." Charlie states, shaking hands with Soda and Darry. "This is one kid brother you have here." He says to Darry. Darry nods proudly.

"Yep. They both are." He tells him. Soda gives him an approving look and turns back to Charlie.

"Stop by anytime. Oh, and Charlie?" Soda calls after him. Charlie stops at the end of the porch and turns to face him.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Sorry about that Vietnamese girl." Soda says smiling. Charlie laughs and heads to his car.

"No sweat kid." He answers, pulling the car door open. "I found another one." He holds up his left hand, revealing a gold ring. Soda laughs, shuts the door, and sits down on the couch beside me.

"So, you and Steve really saved some Vietnamese orphans?" Darry asks quizzically. Soda nods.

"Yeah well, you know how Steve loves kids."

oOoOoOoOoOoO

Steve doesn't really love kids. Actually, I don't think he really likes people. But he could have fooled me with the look on his face as we walked into the visiting room.

"Sodapop?!" Steve yells, practically diving over the unbalanced table to grab him. The little nurse looks ready to call for back up when Darry waves her off.

"We're friends. No worries." He assures her, and she sits back into the chair beside her patient.

"Oh my God! Oh my God, I thought you were dead, or gone, or missing or something! The uh…uh commanding offi-oh fuck it, it doesn't matter! You're okay; you're actually okay and here! My God!" Steve sobs.

"Uh…Soda is fine Steve. You know how I feel about you calling me God in front of other people." Soda kids him. Steve punches him playfully and sits back down in his chair. The three of us follow his motion.

"Two-bit swung by a few days and told me he had a surprise and wouldn't tell me what is was. But man I never. Ever thought. This, I mean…man." Steve gawks, looking at Soda happily. Finally his eyes rest on Darry and I.

"Pony…you're a lot bigger than I remember." He says nicely. I'm shocked by his tone, but I remind myself that Steve Randal has probably changed a lot over the last few months.

"Uh…yeah." I answer awkwardly. He smiles nostalgically.

"Still quiet huh? Gosh am I glad to see you guys! How have you been?" Steve says excitedly. A pang of guilt runs through me as I think we're probably the only visitors he's had since Two-bit.

"Fine." Darry answers. "How about you though? Steve…you don't look too good." He laughs genuinely.

"Yep. I guess that's probably true. The food here isn't as great as you and Soda's cooking." He answers. "No offense." He adds to the nurse. She gives a polite smile but says nothing.

"Has Charlie been by?" Soda asks him curiously. Steve thinks hard and shakes his head.

"Charlie the cook ya mean? No, aint seen him since Nam. Should I be expecting him?" He questions. Soda shrugs.

"Well, he came by my place to tell me some news." Soda says causally. Steve sits up straighter in his chair, anticipating whatever's coming.

"Don't hold out on me Sodapop.' He demands, growing anxious.

"Well Stevie, you remember some certain orphans that we more or less saved from a buncha crazy, Vietnamese, soldiers?" Soda asks. Steve squints.

"Yeah…more or less. Why?" He answers questioningly. The nurse tries to appear uninterested.

"Well, Charlie stopped by to tell me that they decided to award us a little thing the Americans call the Metal of Honor." Soda informs. Steve's questioning gaze turns into one of realization, surprise, and shock.

"You're shitting me?" Steve almost yells. Soda shakes his head.

"I shit you not." He answers. Steve stands up and hugs Soda again, then surprises me by grabbing me too.

"I knew things couldn't get any worse. Two-bit came in here blabbing about how I had to think positively and shit because things could only get better. And I'll be damned if he wasn't right." Steve says happily. He lets go of the both of us and smiles sincerely for the first time in a while.

"Two-bit said that huh? Didn't think he was the philosophical type." Darry admits. Steve scrunches his head up with thought.

"I didn't either. Then again, I think he might be crazier than I am." Steve answers. Soda looks at him curiously.

"Why?" He questions. Steve sits down and looks at us all seriously

"What's the difference between an orange?"

* * *

That joke was my and my friend's favorite all through middle school.

Please read and review.


	11. Group Hug

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 11**: Group Hug

I know I can't avoid it forever. As much as I would love to pretend that the last few months never happened, Soda isn't going to drop it. I can see it in his eyes all the time, constantly waiting for the right time to bring it up. Darry never looks either one of us in the eye, and I wonder how many times he thinks about it every day.

The army supplied Soda a new job, as it does with all its veterans, as a mechanic. It's what he wanted to do, and it's what he's good at, and the army can always use more mechanics. However he's made perfectly sure that there's no time for Darry and I to be home alone. He works the hours I'm at school, and is home before Darry in the afternoon. While he hasn't come right out and said it, I know he doesn't trust Darry anymore than the people he was fighting overseas.

Caleb sits across from me at the kitchen table, working on the writing portion of our project. Since I was out the day the project was assigned, we have some making up to do.

"Are you sure you're doing that right?" Caleb asks doubtfully. I look down at the model of our business floor plan, realizing I've placed the entrance on the wrong side. I look at him with embarrassment, removing the piece.

"Uh, sorry. Just thinking about a lot of things I guess." I utter my apology. He raises his eyebrows in question.

"Want me to finish that? I mean…are ya sure you can handle it?" Caleb asks prudently. Darry gives him a warning glare from the oven, which was luckily behind Caleb. Darry hasn't changed much in the aspect of not liking me to hang out with anyone he doesn't know. He actually hasn't changed much in a lot of areas, though I can tell he's trying. Honestly though, I'm glad Soda doesn't leave me alone with him. I clear my throat to signal my disapproval.

"You okay?" Caleb asks with a confused look on his face. I nod.

"Yeah, fine. I got it, don't worry." I answer, giving him a fake smile. He shrugs.

"Okay, if you say so." Two-bit barges in the front door, letting it bang shut behind him.

"Have you guys got a look at the new cashier in Smart Shoppe? Man that chick is fine." Two-bit informs us. I roll my eyes with amusement.

"I haven't gone to that place in forever." Soda answers from the couch.

"Yeah? She actually asked about you Pony." Two-bit comments, winking approvingly. "Didn't know you hung out with women of her status."

"She asked for Pony?" Soda asks with amusement, coming into the kitchen behind Two-bit. Caleb stares at them with an annoyed curiosity.

"Oh uh, this is Caleb. Caleb, that's Two-bit. And yeah I kinda know er'. I mean, not really." I tell them, thinking back to the days when walking to the grocery store was a celebratory occasion. She was always there to check out my groceries, questioning my appearance.

"You get in a fight?" She asked sweetly, smiling and brushing her hair behind her shoulders.

"_Uh…you could say that." I answered shyly, looking over my shoulder self-consciously. She laughed and rung up my groceries._

"_It's $10.49," She told me. I gave her the money, watching her carefully count the change and drop it into my hands._ _"You know fighting doesn't solve anything."_

"Yeah...thanks." I answered.

I had wanted to say more but Two-bit had come bursting through the door calling my name. I had embarrassedly left, hoping Two-bit wasn't as observant.

"What do you mean, not really?" Darry asks seriously, tearing me away from my memory of how we met.

"Just-" I start to answer, only to be interrupted by Two-bit.

"Nah forget it." He said, forcing a smile. "Sorry I asked. What's cookin'?"

"I don't want to forget it. I just want to know how he knows her." Darry answers, ignoring Two-bit's attempt to change the subject. Two-bit looks at me apologetically.

"I didn't mean ta' make you mad or anything…" Two-bit begins.

"I'm not angry, I just asked a simple question." Darry states, getting louder. Caleb scoots closer to the table, looking at me with concern. Great, I think, at this rate I'm not going to make any friends.

"Dar, just calm down." Soda orders, prepared to jump in if necessary.

"I'm not fucking upset! Jesus Christ, I just asked a goddamned question!" Darry bellows.

"Pony, why don't you and Caleb work on this in your room?" Soda asks, acting calm. I can see right through his mask and tell that he's both worried and angry.

"What are you now, his fucking guardian angel? He's _my_ brother too Sodapop! Stop acting like I'm going to hurt him as soon as you leave the room!" Darry shouts. Two-bit helps me pick up my things and carry them out of the kitchen.

"Oh because you would _never_ hurt _our_ little brother, would you? I mean jeez, I must be a moron to think something so _outrageous_ as you hurting Ponyboy! My God, what am I _thinking_?" Soda screams sarcastically. Caleb looks at me with genuine fear in his eyes.

"I need to go! I-I'll see ya at school." Caleb stutters, hurrying out the front door. Two-bit looks at me sympathetically.

"I'm sorry! I said I was fucking sorry! What else can I do? What more do you want from me?" Darry screams back. I flinch at the sound of breaking glass. I jerk out of Two-bit's reach, heading back to the kitchen. I will _not_ let Darry hurt Soda too.

"Pony don't. Just let em' work it out." Two-bit begs.

"It's about me Two-bit!" I yell without turning around. I find Darry and Soda standing face to face in the kitchen, inches apart. Soda is at least three inches shorter than Darry, and quiet a bit smaller, but given his current state I would place my money on him.

"_You're sorry_? Oh well, that solves _everything_! No we can just forget about it and move on with our lives! Never mind that you hurt our brother! Never mind that you've probably scarred him for life! Now that you've apologized, everything's better! Thanks Darry, for being such a good brother! So honorary of you!" Soda fumes. I'm ready to jump in and stop Darry from hurting Soda, but he doesn't make a move to hurt him. Instead he grabs a plate from the counter and hurls it across the kitchen. I duck instinctively, even though it doesn't come near me. It shatters against the wall.

"Fucking hell Dar-" Two-bit says, grabbing my arm once more to drag me away.

"I don't know what else to do!" Darry yells hysterically. It's not like the normal, controlled Darry from last year. It's not like the stern, composed Darry at our parents' funeral. It's not like the brother I used to hate, but now would give anything to have back.

"I can't take it back Soda! If I could then I would, believe me! But I don't…" He puts his hands on his head and for the first time I remember that he's barely legal to drink. I remember that if our lives were perfect, he would probably be graduating college this year. I remember that he's my brother, and we used to play football and go on vacations together and do all the things that normal brothers do. I remember that I do actually love him, even if I think I don't sometimes. I push past Two-bit and Soda and our parents and Dally and Johnny and Bob Sheldon and everything else that I let hold me back for so long. I push past them all and wrap my arms around Darry tightly.

"I don't hate you Darry. I don't. I love you." I tell him. I feel his arms around my back and I remember the cold day in the park when I had pretended I was in Darry's arms again and desperately wanted to be there. And here I was now, broken arm and all, only it wasn't cold.

"Can you forgive me?" He asks, not letting me go. I don't say anything. I just nod because honestly I'm not sure that I haven't forgiven him already. I just want things to be normal again, and if forgiveness is the first step, then so be it.

"Soda…please." Darry pleads. I let go of Darry to face Soda, silently begging him to let it go. To let _me_ let it go. He lets out a breath and comes to us, only partly unwilling. I think the other part secretly wants things to be normal too.

"Okay, alright." He says once he's in Darry's grip. I'm surprised when a third set of arms come around me. I let go of Soda and Darry and face Two-bit.

"Two-bit? What're ya doin'?" I ask on the verge of laughing. Darry and Soda are smiling too. Two-bit shrugs sheepishly.

"Well, ya know…I was feelin' a little left out."


	12. Questions

**Note**: Thanks for the reviews and criticism. I appreciate it a lot.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 12**: Question(s)

"I swear I'm fine. Honestly." I say to Caleb's doubtful look. We're presenting our project today in third period, so we're finishing it up now during lunch in the library.

"Didn't seem okay." He mumbles. I sigh irritably, even though I know I can't blame him for being worried. I guess I can't expect other people to drop things as fast as I do.

"Anyways, so the point of our business is to-" I start to go over. Caleb clicks his pen with boredom.

"Caleb, this thing is due next period. We have to present this to the teacher…and the class. You think you can focus for like, ten seconds?" I admonish lightly. He props his head in his hands and smacks hard on his gum.

"Yeah, Yeah. Okay so go on with the point." He tells me. I go over the information we need to have memorized for the project with Caleb vaguely listening.

"What did ya say your other brother was called? Soda?" He interrupts. I place my head on the table and mumble into it.

"He's not _called_ Soda, he's _named_ Soda. Now can we _please_, for the love of God, move on?" I feel like I'm working with a five year old, with an attention span of thirty seconds.

"Oh yeah. Sorry. And the scary one's Darry?" He says, completely ignoring my plea.

"Yes." I answer. "The scary one is Darry. Now when we get up there, you have to be sure to explain the model. You can't just say this is the entrance, this is the parking lot. You have to actually go over what each part is according to the business."

"Jack thinks Darry is scary too. He told me that he yelled at him over the phone just for calling. Are you sure Darry doesn't have some kind of anger management issues? I mean, like the incredible hulk? He is almost as big…" Caleb says excitedly. I'm so thrilled that you find my family so exciting, I think.

"_And then_ you have to talk about prices. How much it cost to build the business, start it up and stuff-"

"Or like Jekyll and Hyde. He's normal one minute-"

"Caleb, are you even listening to me?" I ask exasperatedly. The bell rings for us to go to class and I groan with impatience.

"Great. So not only did we miss lunch, but we got absolutely nothing done!" I whine, picking up our stuff and heading to class. Caleb runs after me.

"Hey Darry and Scary rhyme! Isn't that cool?"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ponyboy can you stay after class for a minute." Mrs. Cambridge asks. I grit my teeth and nod unwilling. Our project was a complete failure to say the least. Caleb and the rest of the class goes off the forth period, as I pack my things up and remain in my seat.

"Pony-" She starts once the class has emptied.

"I'm sorry about the project." I break in. "We actually did work on it." She looks at me curiously, and then nods, as she understands what I'm saying. She gets up from her desk and sits in the one beside mine, making me extremely uncomfortable.

"No that's not what this is about." She answers. "How have you been lately?" I know that whenever a teacher asks you a question like that, it's never a good thing. I swallow hard and slouch in my seat.

"Fine." I answer curtly. I stare at my desk instead of her.

"I noticed that you were out a few days last week. You were sick?" She questions softly. I inwardly groan, as I understand where this conversation is going.

" My brother got back from Vietnam. He was wounded, but he's okay, and I wanted to be home when he got there." I reply. She looks at me doubtfully, but goes on.

"That's great. I mean, that he's home. Not that he was hurt…my records say that you live with your older brother?" She states in a question form. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, and listen as the late bell rings for forth period.

"Mrs. Cambridge, I really should be going to class now." I tell her.

"I'll write you a pass, don't worry about that. Ponyboy I want you to know that if something is wrong you can tell me. You shouldn't have to-" She informs me seriously. I cut her off by shaking my head and standing up.

"Nothing is wrong. I've got to get to class." I answer angrily. She stands up and touches my shoulder.

"You shouldn't have to be afraid, Pony." She finishes. I slip my bag on my shoulder and jerk away from her.

"Everyone afraid of something, Mrs. Cambridge."

OOoOoOoOoOoOo

Darry is sitting in his truck at the front of the school when it's time to go home. Normally Two-bit is there to pick me up, since Darry doesn't get off until six, so I'm surprised to see Darry waving at me.

"Hey kiddo. How was school?" He asks overly cheerfully. I shift uncomfortably under his gaze, and climb into the passenger seat. He starts up the truck and drives off as I look around for Two-bit.

"Two-bit's with Steve right now, and Soda's at work, so that's why I'm picking you up. I hope that's okay." He tells me, reading my expression. I fumble with the seat belt as I buckle it up.

"Yeah, sure. Of course." I answer. "I could've walked home though."

"Well, Two-bit called me at work and said he wasn't going to be able to pick you and had no way to tell you. I just decided I would get you myself." He tells me as if it was the obvious explanation.

"You've missed a lot of work lately." I state uncaringly. Mainly just to be saying something. It was still a little awkward between us, despite the effort on both our parts.

"Nah. Not too much." He answers. An awkward silence falls between us, and I don't know how to break it.

"How did the project go?" He questions, genuinely interested. One thing that never changed with him was his concern with my grades. I sigh.

"That bad?" He asks amusedly.

"Yeah. That bad." I answer. He passes our street, but answers me before I can ask why.

"The Sooners are playing. I thought maybe we could go see them." I laugh and roll my eyes.

"You had this whole thing planned out." I tell him as if he didn't know. He looks at me mischievously.

"Yeah, maybe a little." He admits.

"Why?" I ask before I can think about it. He looks at me sadly, knowing what I want but not knowing how to give it to me.

"Because I know you like football." He tells me. I shake my head.

"That's not what I mean." I tell him. He nods.

"I know."

* * *

Please read and review. 


	13. After Game

**Note:** Sorry for the delay in updating, school takes over. I hope you guys enjoy. I believe this may be a couple more chapters, but it's time to wrap it up.

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 13**: After game

The Sooners lost the game by fourteen points, though I don't think either Darry or I cared much. We were distractively focused on the game in order to block out all uncomfortable feelings and conversations. I was set on not letting him get out of my question, however, and continued where we left off on our way back home.

"So, are you going to answer my question or not?" I ask subtly. I don't want to appear angry, since I'm not. I simply want an answers and I'm not sure I'll ever be comfortable around him without them.

"Pony…I don't know what you're looking for." He admits, exhausted. I can't help him out, since I don't know what I'm looking for either. He glares at the car in front of us that's going thirty miles an hour in a forty-five zone.

"Old people." He mutters.

"Dar, I just want to know what you were thinking." I tell him, being as specific as I can. "Or, what you _are_ thinking."

"What I _am_ thinking?" He asks back, obviously not wanting to indulge in this conversation. Well, too fucking bad, I think. I didn't want to be his personal punching bag for almost four months.

"I'm thinking I screwed up bad Pony, and I don't know if I can ever fix it. I-I'm thinking that I hate myself for what I did to you, and I don't know how the hell I'm going to make it up to you. I'm thinking about what our parents would say if they knew what I did. I'm wondering if Soda will ever see me as his brother again…if _you'll_ ever see me as a brother again. If either of you will ever trust me." He says sincerely, no longer caring about the slow car in front of us. I only have the courage to look at him because he's not looking at me. I couldn't make eye contact with him any easier than he could with me, and I wonder if we'll ever be able to look at each other again. It's going to be an awkward next five years if we can't.

"Pony…I was confused and worried and lost and none of that is your fault. It doesn't mean you deserved what I did to you; it just means that I wasn't thinking right. I just kept thinking that I was doing what was best for you. That if I could…" He voice breaks and I have to look away. I can't stand him being in this way, in this weak state. He clears his throat and goes on. "I thought I could keep you safe. Instead all I did was hurt you more, and I'll never forgive myself for that."

The silence between us is so strong I feel like it could toss the world into oblivion.

"I used to write letters…in my head." I tell him. "To Soda and Mom and Dad and Johnny. Mostly to Soda. I've never written one to Dallas though, and I think I should."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Why the fuck would you take him somewhere without telling me?" Soda screams as Darry sits on the couch staring at his feet.

"Soda I told you-" Darry tries to answer only to be cut off by Soda.

"You went to a football game, I know. You should have come by and told me. Someone should have told me. You know how worried I was when Two-bit told me you went to pick him up? Not to mention you were gone for nearly four hours! _Four_ hours Darry! I didn't know where the hell you were!" He paces the living room in front of him, Darry looking like a kid in trouble with his father. Or me in trouble with him, I think half-heartedly. I try to work on the homework I have, since it is already seven. I hadn't noticed we were gone that long.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that I needed to get permission from my little brother to take my other little brother out to a football game. I'll be sure to remember next time." Darry answers solemnly without much heat.

"Oh do we really need to go over the reasons behind that again?" Soda asks disgustedly. I had always thought that if something bad happened, Soda would be the first to forgive and forget. I guess I was wrong.

"Soda..." I call from the kitchen table. He turns my way, not knowing what to expect. "Can you please stop yelling?" He sighs dramatically and comes into the kitchen, flopping down into the seat next to mine.

"M'sorry. I was just...worried ya know?" He asks, desperately wanting me to understand. It's a glimpse of the old Soda, the one that just wants to please people and do whatever's right in the current situation. For a second I can imagine the seventeen-year old kid Soda was before the war.

"Of course I know. And we're sorry for worring ya. But you know everything's okay now?" I ask back. He leans back in his chair, looking a lot younger than eighteen.

"Yeah I guess." He admits grumpily. "Just still a little nervous is all."

"Well, don't be. There's nothing to be nervous about." I answer confidently. "Hey, you know Steve is getting out next week?" Soda smiles and nods. Finally, I think. Finally he's smiling again.

"Yeah I know. We're all going to pick em' up right?" He asks me, again sounding like a kid. I laugh at his excitement.

"Yeah, and you guys' ceremony is in a month. You two have gotta figure out what you're going to say...now that you're big shot heroes and all." I remind him.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that." He answers, standing up. "Hey, you think that if I run over and remind ole Steve that the two of you can manage not to burn the place down?" He eyes Darry, but not in a angry sort of way. He's happy and anxious, and I could almost jump for joy.

"You know who you're starting to sound like in your old age?" I say tightly, gesturing to Darry who's still sulking on the sofa. Soda grins goodheartedly.

"You're right. I gotta fix that." He answers, grabbing his coat.

"Hey, I heard that!" Darry calls as Soda runs out of the house. I laugh again, in spite of myself, and sit beside Darry on the couch.

"He sure can get loud with he's mad." Darry mentions to me, draping his arm over my shoulder. "Now I know how you felt all those times I was hollering at you." We both laugh as if it was a joke. Then I look at him and he looks at me and even though it only lasts for a second, I think, maybe, we're okay now.

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	14. Along Came a Spider

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 14**: Along Came a Spider

Steve is quieter than I remember, which is normal I guess given the circumstances. Even though they released him from the hospital, he still has to see a therapist twice a week. It seems weird that Steve would be the one needing a therapist, but I guess war can really change a person.

"So, after all that, how'd you still manage to come out of this as a mechanic?" Steve asks Soda, peering down at his cards. His cigarette lies in the ashtray, ignored for the last five minutes, as the poker game between him, Soda, and Two-bit, gained intensity. All three of them are sore losers.

"Don't know really. Just told the boss my talents and-" He begins to explain, when Two-bit lets out an amused grunt.

"Talents? _Please_ soldier boy. How'd you_ really _get the job? Promise to marry the lieutenant's daughter?" Two-bit grins jokingly, tossing three chips into the stack.

"Shit, I fold." Steve mutters, slapping down his cards on the table.

"How ya been kid?" He addresses me, bored with the lighthearted argument between Soda and Two-bit. I look up from the book I'm reading to see him standing over me.

"_Nobody can just disappear nowadays. No one is that smart_." He reads from over my shoulder. I cringe because I always hated it when people did that. He flips the front cover forward so that he can read it.

"Along Came a Spider by James Patterson. Interesting. What's it about?" He asks, looking genuinely interested. It's weird because Steve has never seemed interested in me before, especially not when it came to the books I was reading.

"Two-bit, I swear to God, if you've been hiding cards again…!" Soda threatens. Steve and I smirk at the continuing poker game, now becoming more of a wrestling match.

"A psychopath." I answer Steve distractively. "More or less."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

We're all playing football, and it's super cold. Only two more days of school before Christmas break, so the wind, sleet, and snow don't bother me. It seems like it's been forever since we've played football.

"Bombs away!" Two-bit yells, passing me the ball. I put my hands in front of me just in time, catching it and running for the sake of the game. My thoughts are definitely elsewhere. I'm thinking about how small our teams are now that Johnny and Dallas are gone, and how rare rumbles are as well. For a moment I have this sinking feeling that we're growing up, and that that could mean we're growing apart. I wonder how much longer we're going to be playing football like this, and hanging out in the summer, and playing poker when we don't have any money to lose. Even as Darry lightly tackles me, I wonder how much of a gang we'll be when we all have families and live in different cities.

"C'mon Pony, you're making it way too easy for em'!" Soda complains. Darry pulls me up to my feet, and I brush myself off uneasily. Except for Steve, our little family conflict is no secret, and Darry makes sure to treat me as if I'm breakable. That's because you are, I tell myself, and grimace at the thought. That's because we all are, except for Dallas. I remember that I need to write him, and I promise myself that I will tonight. No more putting it off.

"Hello, earth to Pony!" Darry teases. I look at him, feeling embarrassed that all of the guys are staring at me.

"Did you say something Darry?" I ask with confusion. He laughs and nods, tossing the ball to Steve.

"Yeah, I asked if you were okay?" He says questioningly. I roll my eyes and walk back over to my side.

"Yeah," I lie. "Why wouldn't I be?"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Dear Dallas, _I write on the sheet of notebook paper that covers my book. I'm sitting cross-legged on my bed, trying to think of what to say to Dallas Winston. I've look over at the other crumpled attempts and wonder why it's so much harder writing him than all the others. I've already given up trying to write it in my head, but am finding writing it on paper just as hard. I cross out what I've written and start over.

_Dally,_

_People say that everything happens for a reason, but I think that sometimes that's not true. I think some things just…happen. Not because they're supposed to, and not because we want them to, but just because they do. I think that sometimes there is no answer to the question 'why?'. And I think if there was always was an answer then we wouldn't be satisfied with it. See the way I look at it is, people do things because they want to. We do things because they seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Like running into a burning building to save a bunch of children, or dying because we don't see a reason for living anymore. We start fights and wars because we don't know how to live in peace. We lie and cheat because we're afraid of the truth. We turn against each other, because we're afraid of what might happen if we get too close. This is how we live. Not because we want to, but because we just do. And maybe heroes and criminals and murderers and saints are all alike. Maybe, we're all the same, just doing what we can to survive. Maybe what we really want is to just disappear. But nobody can just disappear nowadays. No one is that smart. _

_But I could be wrong._

_-P.M Curtis_

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Along Came a Spider was originally published in 1992. However, since this story was titled after it, I wanted to include it in some shape, way, or form. Thanks to James Patterson for writing it, along with all his other amazing books.

Please read and review.


	15. Epilogue

**Along Came a Spider**

**Chapter 15:** Epilogue

I search for the letter I wrote Dally three weeks ago, unable to find it anywhere. Darry has been yelling at me to move it, since we have a long trip ahead of us. The Metal of Honor is being presented to Steve and Soda tomorrow in Washington D.C. Since I've never been outside of Oklahoma, I'm excited to see all the monuments we've been learning about in school for the past six years or longer.

"I'm hurrying….I'm just looking for something." I say mostly to myself, since I know Darry is too worried about packing everything into the truck to listen. He's nervous as anything, as am I, and I think maybe it's a good thing that Steve and Soda went ahead of us with their army buddies. I grab my jacket hastily, and take one last glimpse across the room. Sure it doesn't mean much, since it's not like Dallas can read the letter anyways, but I'm still upset at loosing it. Damn, I think to myself, I left it right here. I know I did.

"Pony, let's go! The plane leaves in an hour!" Darry hollers from the front door. I tug at my heavy suitcase and leave the room.

"I thought I had loaded everything!" Darry whines, taking my bag from me.

"Jeez Darry, you have a girl waiting on you or something?" I gripe sarcastically. He gives me one of his looks, doing his best to suppress a smile.

"We're on a tight schedule." He says in his 'I'm warning you' tone. I roll my eyes and jump into the passenger seat of the truck.

"What are the chances of getting into a plane crash, again?" I ask nervously as he starts up the truck.

"Slim….unfortunately." He mutters back. I sigh dramatically.

"Dar, chill out. It'll be fine." I assure him.

"Yeah, that's what they all keep telling me."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The applause of the audience is overwhelming as Steve steps off the stage. He's just given his acceptance speech, and managed to do so without using 'aint' or cussing even once. I have to admit that I'm impressed, and by the look on Darry's face, so is he.

"One down." He says, looking slightly relieved. I can tell he's proud though, despite his anxiety. He just knows Soda's not going to be able to contain he's joking nature. Of course, it probably would have eased our nervousness if Soda had let us read his speech before hand, but he had been set on keeping it secret until today.

I look around me at the hundreds of soldiers and soldiers' parents, and I think that I couldn't be more proud of my brother if he had saved the universe from evil aliens. Some of the Generals have tears in their eyes, undoubtedly mourning the loss of a son or grandson. I realize how lucky I am to have my brother home, alive and well. Both of my brothers, I remind myself, stealing a glimpse at Darry. I can't stifle my laugh as Darry's eyes grow wide watching Soda take the stage.

His lieutenant shakes his hand, saying the usual speech about him being honored to have him under his command and what not. I try to pay attention, but I can't get over the fact that Sodapop is standing on stage, surrounded by so many cameras and people. I'm sure he's having a field day in his head.

Soda finally stands awkwardly in front of the podium, spreading a folded piece of paper across it. He shoves his hands in his pockets and smiles anxiously.

"It's uh…it's truly an honor…" Soda starts, looking at the soldiers in the crowd and Steve sitting right below him. "It's truly an honor to have fought for my country with these men and others that couldn't be here today." He pauses, takes a breath, and goes on. "However, the biggest honor is being able to have my family here today…" He says, glancing at Darry and me from his place on stage. "They mean so much to me."

"I was thinking a lot about what I wanted to say, and how I wanted to say it, but it never seemed quite right on paper. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't…couldn't get what I wanted to say to make sense. I started to think that maybe I was going crazy, but I guess I wasn't that lucky." Some of the people in the audience laugh, others just smile, understanding where he's coming from. I smile myself.

"But uh, but then my brother said it all for me. You always we smarter than me." Soda addresses me. Some people follow his eyes to look at me also, and I shift uncomfortably with pride and some other emotion that I can't describe.

"He said that um….he said that '_People say that everything happens for a reason, but I think that sometimes that's not true. I think some things just…happen…'_"

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Well, it's been fun. I hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Tell me what you think, and feel free to leave any ideas for a new story. Thanks again,

Logan Parker


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